Stock chain for slide fasteners



Sept. 22, 1964 J. A. FADY sTocx CHAIN. FOR SLIDE FAsTENERs 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1960 Flg /VVENTR rTEAN ANBRE FADY Sept. 22, 1964 .l. A. FADY STOCK CHAIN FOR SLIDE FASTENERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 2, 1960 NVE/VTR JEAN RNURE FADY Sept. 22, 1964 J. A. FADY STOCK CHAIN FOR SLIDE FASTENERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Deo. 2, 1960 JEAN ,L1/vana FA DY NVENTOR d, wf fw United States Patent O 3,ld9,927 STOCK @HAHN FR SLIDE FASTENERS Jean Andr Fady, Brunoy, France, assigner to Societe Francaise de Fermetures de Luxe, Choisy Ile Roi,

France, a corporation of France Filed Dec. 2, 1966*, Ser. Nna 73,311 Claims priority, application France Dec. 1l, 1%9 6 Claims. (Cl. 29-18tl) The present invention relates to fasteners of the type composed of two stringers each consisting of an elongated tape carrying a series of hooking members or fastener elements adapted to be connected or disconnected with the series of elements on the other Stringer by means of a slider.

Slide fasteners of the indicated type are required in many different lengths for knitwear, hosiery and like articles, and also for clothings, bags, pockets, briefcases, etc., and accordingly, it has heretofore been necessary to manufacture and stock these fasteners in many different lengths. In making such fasteners it has been the practice to first manufacture the stringers in the for-n1 of a chain or strip consisting of two endless registered series of hooking members secured on two supporting tapes. This chain or strip is then divided into sections having the different desired lengths and which are provided with a slider and with stop means at their ends. This method of 4manufacture necessarily involves several successive steps, such as cutting the chain into sections, fitting stop- -forming staples on one end of each section, locking these staples to the section by means of tongs if the device comprises rows of plastic hooking members, positioning a slider on each section, fitting stop-forming staples at the other end of the section, and locking these staples in place by means of tongs.

In addition to these complementary steps it is necessary to pack and stock separately the different groups of fasteners thus manufactured. For their subsequent use, that is, for securing the chain sections on garments and other articles, it is necessary to select the desired lengths from the groups of `fasteners having different lengths.

As the number of these groups supplied to the trade Iis not very high in order to avoid complicating unduly the stocking conditions, the manufacturers of hosiery, knitwear, clothing and other articles must constantly take inventory of the number of lengths available 4for the articles being manufactured and this obviously is not always easy. This requirement is especially difficult in the mass production of clothing and other articles.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide for the users, notably the manufacturers of knitwear, hosiery and other articles utilizing slide fasteners in large numbers, long stock fastener chains or strips from each of which a plurality of slide fasteners of any desired length may be prepared without dihiculty.

In accordance with the invention, the stock fastener chains or strips are wound on spools or the like to simplify handling, transport and stocking operations and such strips are subsequently unwound and cut into sections of any desired lengths to provide as they are needed complete slide fasteners adapted to be secured immediately on any desired object, for example clothing articles during their manufacture.

To accomplish the aforesaid objects, the present invention provides a stock chain or strip consisting of two series of hooking members or fastener elements carried by a pair of registering supporting bands or tapes, and characterized in that these two series of hooking or fastener members constitute together a continuous slideway and in that two or more sliders disposed in the same direction are mounted on said slideway; all the hooking mem.-

ice

bers disposed between any two adjacent sliders being either interconnected, except those located in close proximity of the wide end of one of the sliders, or disconnected from one another, except those located in close proximity of the narrow end of the slider.

In order to permit the use of the chain of this invention for forming slide fasteners of any desired lengths without difliculty, it is necessary that the sliders be constructed to enable them to connect the two series of hooking members of the chain in interengaged relation in both directions of movement of these sliders. Under these conditions the chain must consist either of metal hooking members adequately shaped to this end, or of plastic members separate from one another or consisting of a suitably shaped section, such plastic members being adapted to be re-assembled by the narrow end of the slider, even when the latter is moved in the direction opposite to that of its normal closing movement.

The number of sliders engaged on a chain of any length may be selected as a function of the number of sections to be cut therefrom. It is also possible to dispose the sliders by groups at several locations selected at will on the chain. As already explained this chain may be wound on a spool or the like and then unwo-und for its actual use. With this chain, mass-produced garments and clothes can very easily be equipped with slide fasteners of any desired lengths. In fact, in such assembly it is sufficient to unwind the chain carried by the spool or the like, then cut the same into sections having the approximate length desired for the article in which it is to be incorporated, and then sew or otherwise secure such approximate sections on the garments during their manufacture. When the approximate sections of the fastener are being incorporated in the garments or other articles being manufactured, they are cut to the desired lengths required for the particular garments or articles being manufactured. It will be evident that this specific or desired length of the fastener may differ considerably from the initial approximate length of the fastener. In the practice of these operations, it will be noted that the aforesaid preliminary operations which are now employed in assembling slide fasteners on articles, are eliminated, and therefore the stocking and fitting of slideffasteners on mass-produced articles and the .selection of any desired length is facilitated considerably.

In accordance with another object of the invention there is provided a novel method of securing sections of slide fastener chain or strip made according to this invention and as broadly set forth hereinabove on clothing, hosiery, knitwear, underwear, leather and other articles.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a v specific method of preparing a continuous chain of interengageable hooking members of the type set forth in the preceding paragraphs.

Other objects, as well as the advantages of the invention, will become apparent from a perusal of the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plane view of a portion of a chain or strip made in accordance with this invention and from which slide fasteners may be manufactured;

' FIG. 2 is a similar View showing another possible form of embodiment of the chain of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plane View showing on a larger scale the relation of the chain hooking elements adjacent to a slider;

FIG. 4 shows the chain of this invention wound on a spool;

FIG. 5 shows one method of unwinding the chain from a spool for a specific application;

FIG. 6 is a plane view of the chain of this invention the supporting tapes 3 and 4 of a chain section of any desired length are secured along the edges 21 of the opening in the article 22 that are to be provided with the slide fastener, in any suitable manner as by utilizing a sewing machine having its presser foot 23 equipped with two needles 24, or by sewing the tapes successively by the use of a single-needle sewing machine of conventional type. Then the next slider 5c is caused to be slid along the chain section secured by sewing, and this section is cut off. Finally, stop means, for example, in the form of stitches extending transversely to the hooking memebrs 1 and 2 and supporting tapes 3 and 4, are applied at both ends of the sewn section provided with its slider, provided however, that the needle of the sewing machine can pass without difficulty through the hooking members, as when such members are constituted of plastic material.

Another method of securing or utilizing a chain section according to this invention is shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. In this method, the chain is paid otf from the spool 9 and a stop member 11 is secured at the pro posed cut-off point 10, after a slider 5 has been moved along into the section to be cut. This stop member 11 may consist for example of adhesive tape and is preferably so applied as to overlie the transverse line 12 along which the section is to be cut. After the cutting step one portion 14 of the stop member 11 adheres on the cut section, and Aanother portion 14 remains on the chain. Thus, the section to be cut is already provided with a lower stop member as also shown in FIG. 5.

Instead of applying the stop member 11 at the place of cut-off 12 as shown in FIG. 5, the end of the chain to be applied to the garment may be completely closed and the stop member may be placed 4across the lower end of the closed section of the chain which is laid on the sides of the garment opening and then the chain section and stop member are bothv attached to the garment by two parallel seams, as indicated in FIG. 8, extending from a point below the stop member to the top of the garment opening. Transverse lines of stitching may then be applied across the chain section below the stop member. Thus the stopmember will bear the strain and ease the stress on the cross seam. This method of attaching the section and the stop member is a simple sewing operation and can be perfo-rmed as one single operation. In completing the attachment of the fastener section so initially applied, two sliders may be moved down into the sewn end section of the chain and then the upper one of these sliders is moved out beyond the garment opening so that the sewn section is closed on both sides of the remaining slider. The upper end of the sewn section is then cut to sever such section from the chain. The upper ends of the two tapes may then be folded or the material of the garment utilized as stops to prevent the remaining slider from coming off, such folds or material being retained in place by suitable stitching.

The chain of this invention also readily adapts itself to application to a garment in which a garment opening is to be cut. In such an operation, a section of chain such as the section below slider 5 in FIG. 2 of the drawings is laid on the garment with the open upper end of such section at an edge of such garment and the remainder of the section extendinginwardly at approximately right angles to such edge. Each of the tapes of the section above the slider 5a are then turned over so that the fastener elements are on the outer side of the section and such turned tapes are laid one upon the other. The tapes are then sewed to the garment by two longitudinal lines of stitches located adjacent to the fastener elements and between the latter and the other longitudinal edges of the tapes. The garment is then cut between the two lines of stitches and at the end of such longitudinal cut a little dart is cut.

The slider 5a is then pulled up to the edge of the garment and the section is severed from the chain so that the ends of the severed section extendk beyond the edge of the garment. These projecting ends are turned in and sewed to form top stops for the slider 5a. A cross-seam is stitched across the bottom of the section in the region of the little dart to form a bottom stop. The bottom stop may be strengthened by sewing a stop member 11 in FIG. 5 across the bottom of the chain in the manner above discussed.

It will be understood that in forming the bottom stop member various methods or means may be resorted to, whether permanently or temporarily, for example by using adhesive tapes, staples, weld or sealing spots in the case of rows of plastic hooking members, machine stitchings,

etc.

While I have above described and illustrated in the i drawings several preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Such modifications and variations therefore are to be considered as being within the purview and scope of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A chain of relatively great length to constitute stock material adapted to be coiled and from which a plurality of slide fasteners of any desired lengths may be cut off, comprising two coplanar parallel supporting tapes having secured along their opposed longitudinal edges two unbroken series of spaced fastener members interlockable with one another and extending continuously along such opposed edges of such tapes for a distance at least equal to the combined lengths of the plurality of slide fasteners to be formed therefrom, and a plurality of sliders coupling said tapes together into said stock chain and slidably mounted on said series of fastener members for closing and opening the cut fasteners with which they will be associated, all of said sliders being oriented in the same direction on said chain and each being positioned in unconned relation on said chain so as to be freely movable on said series in one direction or the other through distances substantially greater than the length of the cut slide fastener with which it will be associated, whereby said sliders in the uncoiled condition of said chain are adjustable on said chain to enable the latter to be cut into slide fasteners of varying lengths, each length having one slider between the cut ends and adapted to be completed by end stops assembled and secured thereto.

2. A chain as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said sliders has a narrow end and wherein all of said fastener members in said series thereof are in open disengaged relation except for a few members positioned Vin close proximity to the narrow ends of said sliders.

3. A chain as set forth in claim 1, in which each of said sliders have a wide end and wherein all of said fastener members in said series thereof are in closed interlocked relation except for a few members positioned in close proximity to the wide ends of said sliders.

4. A chain of relatively great length to constitute stock material adapted to be coiled and from which a plurality of slide fasteners may be cut off, comprising two coplanar parallel supporting tapes having secured along their opposed longitudinal edges two unbroken series of spaced fastener members interlockable with one another and extending continuously along such opposed edges of such tapes for a distance at least equal to the combined lengths of the plurality of slide fasteners to be formed therefrom, and a plurality of sliders coupling said tapes together into said stock chain and slidably mounted on said series of fastener members for closing and opening the cut fasteners with which they will be associated, all of said sliders being oriented in the same direction on said chain and each being freely movable on said series in one direction or the other through distances substantially greater than the length of the cut slide fastener with which it will be associated, whereby said sliders in the unooiled condition of said chain are adjustable on said chain to enable the latter to be cut into slide fasteners of varying lengths, each length having one slider between the cut ends and adapted to be completed by end stops assembled and secured thereto the sliders being located in unconfined relation on said chain in positions between the estimated ends or the fasteners to be severed from the stock chain, and the number of said sliders corresponding to the number of sections to be severed from said chain in preparing the fasteners.

5. A chain `of relatively great length to constitute stock material adapted to be coiled and from which a plurality of slide fasteners of various lengths may be cut off, comprising two coplanar parallel supporting tapes having secured along their opposed longitudinal edges two unbroken series of spaced fastener members interlockable with one another and extending continuously along such opposed edges of such tapes for a distance at least equal to the combined lengths of the plurality of slide fasteners to be formed therefrom, and a plurality of sliders coupling said tapes together into said stock chain and slidably mounted on said series of fastener members for closing and opening the cut fasteners with which they will be associated, all of said sliders being oriented in the same direction on said chain and each being movable on said series through distances substantially greater than the length of the cut slide fastener with which it will be associated. whereby said sliders in the uncoiled condition of said chain are adjustable on said chain to enable the latter to be cut into slide fasteners of varying lengths, each length having one slider between the cut ends and adapted to be completed by end stops assembled and secured thereto, said sliders being arranged in unconned relation on the chain in a plurality of groups thereof and wherein such groups of sliders are disposed at spaced intervals along the chain, the number of sliders in each of said groups corresponding to the number of sections to be severed from a length of said chain associated with such group.

6. A chain of relatively great length to constitute stock material adapted to be coiled and from which a plurality of slide fasteners may be cut off, comprising two coplanar 3 parallel supporting tapes having secured along their opposed longitudinal edges two unbroken series of spaced fastener members interlockable with one another and eX- tending continuously along such opposed edges of said tapes for a distance at least equal to the combined lengths of the plurality of slide fasteners to be formed therefrom, and a plurality of vsliders coupling said tapes together into said stock chain and slidably mounted on said series of fastener members for closing and opening the cut fasteners with which they will be associated, all of said sliders being oriented in the same direction on said chain and each being movable on said series through distances substantially greater than the length of the cut slide fastener with which it will be associated, whereby said sliders in the uncoiled condition of said chain are adjustable on said chain to enable the latter to be cut into slide fasteners of varying lengths, each length having one slider between the cut ends and adapted to be completed by end stops assembled and secured thereto, said sliders being located in unconned relation on said chain and in given positions associated with chain sections which will form the slide fasteners to which the sliders are to be connected when such chain sections are severed from the stock chain to prepare such slide'fasteners, the number of said sliders corresponding to the number of sections to be severed from said chain in preparing the fasteners.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNTED STATES PATENTS 

1. A CHAIN OF RELATIVELY GREAT LENGTH TO CONSTITUTE STOCK MATERIAL ADAPTED TO BE COILED AND FROM WHICH A PLURALITY OF SLIDE FASTENERS OF ANY DESIRED LENGTHS MAY BE CUT OFF, COMPRISING TWO COPLANAR PARALLEL SUPPORTING TAPESHAVING SECURED ALONG THEIR OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL EDGES TWO UNBROKEN SERIES OF SPACED FASTENER MEMBERS INTERLOCKABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND EXTENDING CONTINUOUSLY ALONG SUCH OPPOSED EDGES OF SUCH TAPES FOR A DISTANCE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE COMBINED LENGTH SO FTHE PLURALITY OF SLIDE FASTENERS TO BE FORMED THEREFROM, AND A PLURALITY OF SLIDERS COUPLING SAID TAPES TOGETHER INTO SAID STOCK CHAIN AND SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SERIES OF FASTENER MEMBERS FOR CLOSING AND OPENING THE CUT FASTENERS WITH WHICH THEY WILL BE ASSOCIATED, ALL OF SAID SLIDERS BEING ORIENTED IN THE SAME DIRECTION ON SAID CHAIN AND EACH BEING POSITIONED IN UNCONFINED RELATION ON SAID CHAIN SO AS TO BE FREELY MOVABLE ON SAID SERIES IN ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER THROUGH DISTANCES SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE CUT SLIDE FASTENER WITH WHICH IT WILL BE ASSOCIATED, WHEREBY SAID SLIDERS IN THE UNCOILED CONDITION OF SAID CHAIN ARE ADJUSTABLE ON SAID CHAIN TO ENABLE THE LATTER TO BE CUT INTO SLIDE FASTENERS OF VARYING LENGTHS, EACH LENGTH HAVING ONE SLIDER BETWEEN THE CUT ENDS AND ADAPTED TO BE COMPLETED BY END STOPS ASSEMBLED AND SECURED THERETO. 